thenhlfandomcom-20200215-history
Tomas Plekanec
| birth_place = Kladno, Czechoslovakia | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | weight_lb = 195 | position = Centre | shoots = Left | league = ELH | team = Kometa Brno | prospect_team = HC Kladno | prospect_league = Czech.1 | former_teams = Montreal Canadiens Toronto Maple Leafs | ntl_team = CZE | draft = 71st overall | draft_year = 2001 | draft_team = Montreal Canadiens | career_start = 1998 | career_end = }} Tomas Plekanec (born on October 31, 1982) is a Czech professional ice hockey centre for HC Kladno of the 1st Czech Republic Hockey League (Czech.1) on loan from Kometa Brno of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). He played most of his professional career for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL), but also briefly dressed for the Toronto Maple Leafs. After beginning his career with HC Kladno, he was selected 71st overall by the Canadiens in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Playing Career Junior Tomas played junior ice hockey in his native Czech Republic with the HC Kladno organization. He debuted with club's senior team in the 1998–99 season, appearing in three Czech Extraliga games. Professional Two years later, Tomas joined the senior team full-time, recording 42 points over 53 games. In the off-season, he was selected by the Montreal Canadiens 71st overall in the third round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Remaining in the Czech Extraliga for a second full season, he scored 30 points over 43 games in 2001–02. Tomas came to North America to begin playing in the Canadiens' system in the 2002–03 season. Assigned to the club's minor league affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL, he recorded 46 points over 77 games. Improving to 66 points with Hamilton in 2003–04, he also made his NHL debut that season, playing in two games. Due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, he remained in Hamilton for a third AHL season and recorded 64 points over 80 games. In the 2005–06 season, Tomas became a fixture in the Canadiens' lineup, scoring 29 points in his NHL rookie season. He improved to 47 points the next season in the 2006–07 season and notched his first 20-goal effort. On February 29, 2008, he recorded his first NHL hat-trick in a 6–2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Tomas completed the 2007–08 season with 29 goals and 69 points. On February 12, 2009, he received a two-game suspension for a slewfoot on Edmonton Oilers defenceman Denis Grebeshkov during a game the previous day. Grebeshkov suffered a high ankle sprain on the play. He finished with a decreased 39 points in 2008–09, but still managed to notch 20 goals. In the summer of 2009, Tomas re-signed with the Canadiens to a one-year, $2.75 million contract. That season, he recorded a career-high 45 assists and 70 points. Set to become a free agent, he re-signed once more with the Canadiens on June 22, 2010, agreeing to a six-year, $30 million contract. He scored 22 goals during the 2010–11 season. Tomas signed with Kladno during the 2012–13 NHL lockout. On September 15, 2014, he was named an alternate captain of the Canadiens, along with P.K. Subban, Max Pacioretty and Andrei Markov. On October 16, 2015, Tomas and the Canadiens agreed to a two-year, $12 million contract extension, signing him through until the end of the 2017–18 season. The Canadiens struggled during the 2017–18 season, as they spent much of the year near the bottom of league standings. As the trade deadline approached, rumours concerning a trade involving Tomas began to circulate. He was held out of the lineup on February 24, 2018, (two days before the trade deadline) as a potential trade loomed. The following day, Tomas (who was in the final year of his contract), was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, along with minor league player Kyle Baun in exchange for Kerby Rychel, Rinat Valiev and a second-round pick in 2018. During the opening round of the playoffs against the Boston Bruins, following a three-game suspension to Nazem Kadri, Tomas was placed on a line with Patrick Marleau and Mitch Marner. He scored two goals and four points in seven games, as the Maple Leafs were eliminated by the Bruins. On July 1, 2018, Tomas returned to the Canadiens, signing a one-year, $2.25 million contract. On October 15, 2018, he played in his 1,000th regular season NHL game, where he scored his first goal of the season. On November 9, 2018, the Canadiens announced that they would be placing Tomas on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contact. The termination was a mutual decision, as he announced his retirement from the NHL on the same day. On November 26, 2018, Tomas signed with Kometa Brno of the Czech Extraliga (ELH) and will additionally play for HC Kladno of the 1st Czech Republic Hockey League. Career Statistics Regular season and playoffs International International Play }} Tomas played in three junior international tournaments with the Czech Republic. He was named to the under-18 team at the 2000 IIHF World U18 Championships, where he contributed two points in six games. He then helped the Czechs to a gold medal at the 2001 World Junior Championships with two points in seven games. Tomas made his second consecutive World Junior appearance in 2002 and improved to seven points in seven games. After his first NHL season, Tomas competed in the 2006 World Championships, where the Czech Republic captured a silver medal in Latvia. He scored the Czechs' first goal in the semi-final, helping the team defeat Finland 3–1. He went on to make his second and third consecutive World Championships appearances in 2007 and 2008. He was a member of the bronze-medal Czech team in the 2011 World Championships. On December 31, 2009, Tomas was named to the Czech team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He recorded three points in five games as the Czech Republic were defeated in the quarter-final by Finland. He has also competed for the Czech national inline hockey team. On January 6, 2014, he was named captain of the Czech Republic team competing in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Personal Life Tomas is married to Czech singer/actress Lucie Vondráčková and the couple have two sons: Matyáš (born in 2011) and Adam (born in 2015). Category:1982 births Category:Czech ice hockey players Category:Montreal Canadiens draft picks Category:Montreal Canadiens players Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players Category:HC Kladno players Category:Hamilton Bulldogs players